Fake call centers that defraud people around the globe are common in India, but on Monday, police in Mumbai announced that they were able to bust one due to what the employees were eating for breakfast.
Dozens of employees were prohibited from leaving the center, which was located in a home on Rajodi Beach outside India’s financial capital, to prevent them from interacting with outsiders.
However, police received information that someone was ordering dozens of breakfasts at 4 a.m. from a nearby restaurant.
“On weekends, the coastal resort is packed with tourists, while on weekdays it is nearly deserted. Therefore, the 50 to 60 orders for tea and breakfast so early every morning for several days aroused our suspicions. And we began surveilling the location in secret,” police officer Suhas Bavche told AFP.
Police detained the owner and 47 employees of the 60-workstation residence on April 11.
They have been accused under India’s Information Technology Act of impersonation, cheating, and fraud. In addition, authorities had initiated a forensic examination of the devices.
According to Bavche, young employees were instructed to receive calls from unwary Australian bank customers.
The officer stated that they allegedly extracted confidential personal information and security information. Including one-time passwords, from the victims and emailed the information to managers.
This may represent the top of the iceberg. We are investigating international ties to the scam,” he said, adding that “fake contact centers operating from a single location for a few months are routinely busted across the nation.”
